The Year in Review

2024 Was a Bull Market … Let’s See How We Did

If you’ve been a Rise & Hedge reader for a while now, you already know that (1) we don’t pull punches and (2) we’re advocates for long positions.

Less than one year isn’t a lengthy time frame, but it can provide a glimpse into which equities have lived up to the fundamental and technical indicators we scrutinize before recommending them to our audience.

And while it’s harder to swing and miss during a bull market, the picks we make aim to pace (or outperform) the market when considering their total gains (share appreciation plus dividend yield). 

So without further ado, here’s a look back at our 2024 …

January

We kicked off the year explaining that investors looking to profit from tech growth don’t have to worry about picking individual winners. Instead, investing in a sector ETF simultaneously decreases your risk exposure while giving you ownership of a basket of top tech companies. 

Our pick was the Invesco Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQM), the little sister of the Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (QQQ). Despite nearly identical holdings, the big differences between QQQM and QQQ are that the one we recommended has shares priced roughly 58% cheaper and an expense ratio (the fee for managing and administering ETFs) that is 25% lower. 

Since that recommendation on Jan. 16, 2024, QQQM is up 28.73%:

February

With the expectation that the Federal Reserve was gearing up for interest rate cuts at some point this year, February seemed like a good time to start thinking about buy-low opportunities in interest rate-sensitive sectors like real estate.

So on Feb. 3, 2024, we revisited real estate investment trusts (REITs), specifically recommending Camden Property Trust (CPT), which pays a dividend that yields 3.41%. Since that recommendation, the REIT is up 24.52%:

Later that month, on Feb. 26, we suggested the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) for its low expense ratio and broad exposure. 

The SPLG is the perfect fit for investors who understand how difficult it is — even for investment professionals — to beat the market. Index funds are the safest and most lucrative way for novice and passive investors to generate steady returns.

So while the S&P 500 has an average annual return of 10% over the past 30 years, amidst this year’s bull market, those who jumped on SPLG in late February have enjoyed gains of 19.89%, marginally edging out the S&P 500’s performance over the same period by a hair. 

March

On March 4, we discussed America’s gambling addiction and noted how that industry raked in $66.5 billion in 2023. 

And while investing in companies that facilitate the vices of our fellow countrymen isn’t ideal, a moral argument can be made against investing in any number of publicly traded companies. So, our picks were: 

• Wynn Resorts (WYNN): -5.02%
• Red Rock Resorts (RRR): -12.18%
• Las Vegas Sands (LVS): +7.73

While these weren’t our most productive recommendations of the year, they were bolstered by their dividends and, as part of a well-diversified portfolio, pale in comparison to some of the other gains. 

For example, our other two suggestions last March. On the 18th, we explained how you could profit off of the consumer habits of America’s largest generational cohort, millennials, and on the 25th, we explained how you could profit like an unscrupulous, morally bankrupt politician.

Those three ETFs — the Global X Millennial Consumer ETF (MILN), the Unusual Whales Subversive Democratic ETF (NANC) and the Unusual Whales Subversive Republican ETF (KRUZ) — are up 24.48%%, 17.32% and 10.02%, respectively, since then.

April

We made two recommendations in April: one ETF to profit off of the racket that is America’s property insurers, and one dividend stock in the energy sector for income-focused investors.  

On April 1, we suggested the iShares US Insurance ETF (IAK), which holds a basket of companies run by people who will likely wind up in hell. Since then, the fund’s up 11.13%.  

Then on April 22, we told you about mid-cap Chord Energy (CHRD), which despite being down 34.91% since our recommendation, has been aided by its hefty 8.56% dividend yield. 

As we wrote last week, we’re not bullish on energy — despite Trump’s claims about “unleashing” oil — so this would be a position worthy of liquidating.

May

On May 6, as the talking heads on TV were rambling about how a recession and bear market were looming, we told you about two stocks that demonstrated that the economy was doing just fine. 

Based on macroeconomic data about factory orders, we pointed you in the direction of Cummins (CMI) and Ryder System (R), which play roles in heavy equipment manufacturing and transportation/logistics, respectively. 

Since then, Cummins is up 32.07% while paying a 1.95% dividend, and Ryder is up 32.82% while paying a 1.98% dividend. Here’s how significantly both have outperformed the S&P 500 since our recommendations:

Then, after two issues that explained the Fear & Greed Index and the Motherhood Penalty, we closed the month out with a high-dividend, international bank stock. 

On May 28, we explained how Argentinian choripán outclasses the American hot dog, and how Argentinian Banco Macro (BMA) is a cash cow. Since then, the stock is up a jaw-dropping 67.54% while paying a dividend yielding 7.73% at the same time. That gain outpaced the S&P 500 by 52.02% since we recommended it, not including the yield:

June

On June 10, we told you about findings from a study that showed ETFs are currently the most popular investment in America. 

But rather than recommending another traditional equity ETF, we put a twist on it and explained how you could use those funds to gain exposure to crypto — and Bitcoin in particular — without having to learn about decentralized exchanges, crypto wallets or any other blockchain jargon. 

The rationale was to get ahead of crypto’s annual bull run in October — or Uptober as enthusiasts refer to it. Our picks that day were the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) and the VanEck Bitcoin Trust (HODL). 

Readers who hopped in that Monday would currently be up 113.9% and 115%, respectively, versus the S&P 500’s gain of 26.93% over the same time:

July & August

Feeling patriotic in the weeks following Independence Day, we recommended a closed-ended fund on July 22 that has a ticker that should make all Americans proud: The Liberty All–Star Equity Fund (USA). 

The fund, which isn’t known for growth but rather for its enormous yield, is up 7.12% since our suggestion. But icing the cake is its dividend that’s been the gift that keeps on giving for investors who jumped in. USA spins off an absurd 9.84% quarterly. 

Then in August, we told you about a company that marries AI with the government’s love of defense spending. On Aug. 20, we recommended Palantir Technologies (PLTR). Here’s what it’s done since then: 

The stock is up an absurd 308% since our recommendation compared to the S&P 500’s more-than-respectable gain of 33.47% over the same period. No biggie.

After summer ended, we only made one other recommendation (that we still strongly believe in) and covered a handful of broader personal finance topics this fall, including:

• Why the job market is so convoluted.
• How high-cost housing markets are still surviving.
• Why Columbus was a trash human (and why you should’ve bought gold).
• How we can expect Trump’s tariffs to impact your household budget.
• And one app that’ll help you lower your food costs.

While we do enjoy giving you well-researched recommendations, we also feel it’s just as important to cover broad-spectrum financial literacy topics. So, the plan is to continue doing just that in 2025.

Before we go: If you received this email from a friend or family member, sign up here so you don’t miss any future issues.

We’ll be taking the next two weeks off to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. But keep an eye on your inboxes the week of Jan. 6, 2025, when we return with more in-depth analysis, more market-beating recommendations and — of course — more strongly worded opinions.

Happy holidays and happy new year!